Born as Barsheba Whitehead, Mrs. Cobb married William Cobb Sr. in North Carolina. She mothered three children: William Jr., Pharaoh, and Penelope. Through her children, she also had approximately 15 grandchildren.
In the year 1770, the Cobb family traveled through the North Carolina Mountains into the illegal territory known at the time as the Watauga Settlement. The modern-day cities of Elizabethton, Johnson City, Kingsport, and Piney Flats made up the Watauga Settlement.
Mrs. Cobb was said to be a gracious host of travelers and visitors who came to stay at her home by offering them food and refreshments, entertainment, sleeping space, and intelligent conversation.